favoritism

noun

Definition of favoritismnext
as in bias
the unfair practice of treating some people better than others The favoritism of the boss led to many disgruntled employees. He accused the teacher of showing favoritism in assigning grades.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of favoritism Within a couple of hours, Wilkins’ replies to the post were flooded with accusations of favoritism, questioning the use of taxpayer funds to book her and mocking her sincerity about being chosen as a performer following high-profile exits from the event. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026 This favoritism is driven by legacy preferences, athletic recruitment and nonacademic ratings that reward expensive resume-building, yet elite universities remain reluctant to change these practices. — Prasad Krishnamurthy, Mercury News, 4 June 2026 Bacon responded by gathering supporters and issuing a public declaration accusing Berkeley’s administration of corruption, favoritism, and failure to defend the colony. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 2026 Goldstein remained with the band through the late-’90s/early 2000s recording of the album Chinese Democracy, often weathering accusations of favoritism toward one band member or another. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favoritism
  1. bias
  2. prejudice
  3. nepotism
  4. cronyism
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Grok showed the strongest biases, highly favoring Catholics and Protestants while showing an aversion for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’i and Hindus.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • In fact, Smith has long argued that the NFL has overlooked Black candidates at those positions because of racial bias.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of bias
Noun
  • Federal judge Aileen Cannon dismissed a lawsuit with prejudice on Monday, July 6, after poet Kimberly Marasco sued Swift, Aaron Dessner, Republic Records and Universal Music Group in February 2025, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Her initial lawsuit, filed in May 2024, was dismissed with prejudice in September 2025.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026
Definition of prejudice
Noun
  • In an unstable industry with IP, nepotism and maybe even now artificial intelligence ruling supreme, Ridd and Boa have doubled down on emerging filmmakers with original stories.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
  • Gracie Abrams understands why people bring her up in conversations about nepotism.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of nepotism
Noun
  • This is the wrong time for a baseball stadium — or anything that looks frivolous or smacks of cronyism.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2026
  • While no rules were broken, the revelations conflicted with Starmer’s portrayal of himself as an antidote to the cronyism displayed by successive Conservative leaders.
    — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Definition of cronyism

Browse Nearby Words

favorite sons
favoritism
favors
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Cite this Entry

“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favoritism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on favoritism

Nglish: Translation of favoritism for Spanish Speakers

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